One of the ideas in my awareness lately is that our emotions are powerful in more ways than we often realize. Too often emotions especially in us mail types are ignored or undervalued.

Here are some things I have learned about emotions as a mental health professional and observer of human nature:

Emotions are energetic forces, energy in motion (e-motion)

Emotions can provide power for your passions

Emotions shape your experience of life

Emotions can push your purpose forward

Emotions provide you with direct feedback

Emotions and feelings are basically the same things

Emotions are almost always caused by your thoughts

Emotions can move people to action

Emotions can be very unsettling

Emotions indicate you are alive and not numbed out

Emotions when stuffed cause tension in your body

Emotions tell you when you are on track or off track in life

Emotions are either love based or fear based

Emotions that are positive (love, peace, joy etc) only arise when we are in the present moment

Emotions that are negative (fear, anger, anxious etc) only come up when we are thinking about the past or the future

Emotions can lift us up or take us down

Emotions occur within us and are not caused by others

Emotions can limit you when tied to faulty beliefs

Emotions can influence your decisions

Emotions can connect you to others or cause you to pull away

Emotions are not rational

Emotions are felt in your body not your mind

Emotions can speed you up

Emotions can bring you joy

Emotions are linked to your heart

Emotions are considered a weakness by men

Emotions are more accepted and valued by women

Emotions can be stuffed

Emotions can be expressed in healthy ways

Emotions can be forces of healing and forces of illness

Emotions that are acknowledged and accepted flow through us and make us feel alive

There is much to appreciate about you as a feeling human being. Take the time to get to know what your emotions are throughout your day. Appreciate your emotions and you will have a positive self-esteem. Feel your emotions and you will experience energy and aliveness.

TGIF